The Touch of the Ocean Blue
by LonelyCat2
Summary: "The princess... have blue eyes that can penetrate to your soul as if freezing you to your core, she have the hair as such of a fairy queen, different as it is tea green and the skin cold and white as snow, as if you'll never think again that you've seen a black crow."


Akko couldn't really remember much of how did it started.

All she knew is that, she was 16 that time and it was winter. She and her mother went to her grandparents' mountain lodge, to visit and spend Christmas with them. Even though the girl loves to celebrate with her grandparents, there's nothing there but snow, snow and snow, making her sulky and whiny for days towards her mother, who _should_ have just convinced the other couple to celebrate with them in the city where everything is fun, fun, and fun – according to Akko.

Luckily though, her grandmother would keep her company with her stories and old tales, while her mother and grandfather will go to the town to buy the things they needed.

Old they are, but the stories seems different from those that she read from her story books and they are far, more interesting than a princess kissing a frog that will then turn in to a prince. One of her favourite is a local tale, where a young Princess was cursed to stay in the nearby forest. She would only roam around during winter night, to seek for children and keep them as her own company.

The little troublemaker's curiosity was full blown, because the next day, she found herself waiting for the night to come. Excitement filling her as she packed the things she needed for what she called _'New Adventure'_ of hers later.

When the night came, she sneaked out to the forest near their lodge, armed with flashlight and wrapped with her favourite orange coat to defend her with the cold. Everything is dim lit. The moon was high and bright enough to provide her light to see things around her. She smiled. She is here to prove if that tale was true or not. Too indulge with her purpose that she had forgotten about the _danger_ in the forest - not the Prince of tale but the real ones, the wild ones inside the forest- until she saw one in front of her.

Stopping in her tracks, her eyes locked into the hungry ones that were staring at her while baring its sharp teeth and later on releasing a very, dangerous growl. And that's her cue, she run as fast as she can with the wild animal chasing after her with its four legs.

She's scared and tired of running, but she can't stop now.

Without even thinking of where to go, she then found herself running inside a cave, but her sprint ended as she stopped in front of tall rocks.

 _ **Dead end**_ _._ She dropped to her knees and backed away until her back touched the warm rocks. Cowering with fear, her tears fell from her eyes sliding to her red cheeks and despite the cold weather she was sweating and panting hard. She curled up and placed her hands on her head for defence when the creature attempted to lunged to its prey.

But then a soft whistle echoed to the cave.

Oblivious to the sound, Akko never felt the pain of bite, nor felt the presence of the wild animal that was preying on her. Confused to what happened she took a peek only to see the animal scurrying away, tail between its legs, backing away like a scared pup but its gaze were stock unto something behind the Akko.

The scene that had unfolded before her scared her even more. What could make that scary wild animal back away like that, like a scaredy cat?

Akko didn't know what, but as she turned around slowly...

Her dark eyes met another, lighter ones.

There, on top of the tall rocks seated a young girl with blond hair that has some strange mint-green highlights, blue eyes staring back at her as if a deep, blue ocean were before her- drowning her, and her skin were flawless and white as snow.

Akko was in awe. _That doesn't look like something to be scared of._ She thought. Then she remembered what her grandmother told her, _"The princess... have blue eyes that can penetrate to your soul as if freezing you to your core, she have the hair as such of a fairy queen, different as it is tea green and the skin cold and white as snow, as if you'll never think again that you've seen a black crow."_

"It's dangerous in here little one. Why are you here alone? You shouldn't be here." Akko heard a melodious voice, even she was still frozen in shock with the realization that the girl in front of her might be the princess that she as looking for.

"I-I, wa-was looking for... T-the Pr-princess o-of this f-forest..." Akko replied dumbly. Her legs were rooted to the floor. Her gaze still up, meeting the latter's blue ones. Akko per say, was captivated.

The girl before her is not like any pretty girl from her town, _"The girl is... more... more like, beautiful? God-sent angel? ...she's just so gorgeous..."_ Akko thought as her eyes lingered on the other girl before her. The shock from earlier incident was already forgotten.

Akko heard a cough, and she was brought back to reality, jumping from her place. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't get to pay attention to what did the latter said to her.

"Either way, you should not come back here," The blonde said.

"Wh-what? But I haven't even seen the Princess! Well... the Princess who was kidnapping the children?" Akko stubbornly said, but with a tinge of hesitation in her voice.

"There is no Princess in this forest." The latter replied, rather coldly. Standing up, she raised her right hand and pointed up ahead, in which Akko followed with her gaze. "Follow that path and you will find your way home."

Realizing what the blonde girl meant, "Wai-" Akko turned to look to the tall rocks to where the latter were supposed to be standing, but only met with empty spot. Bewildered, Akko turned around and round, trying to find the girl she was talking to a minute ago, but sadly, there was no trail of where the girl gone to, she didn't even hear the latter walk away. It was as if, the girl disappeared into thin air.

At that night, she went back to their lodge. Heeding, the 'supposed' Princess' words. She was slightly sure then, that, the girl she met was the Princess. And that, she was not what others thought her to be. For she wouldn't have that forlorn expression when she said she heard stories about her kidnapping the children that wonders inside the forest.

She was too stubborn to believe her grandmother's story, because she herself had seen that the young princess is anything but evil. The next day, she went for another trip again, trying to find the cave where she first met the Princess, but soon gave up after admitting that she's lost her way once again.

She almost cried out of frustration when she heard a familiar chuckle behind her. When she turned around, she saw the young princess seated on one of the lower branches, legs dangling and swinging slightly.

"Lost again?" the so-called Princess greeted, with a cheeky smile.

The brunette below could only give a huff and a frown.

That day, Akko gave her thanks to the young girl, after saving her life last night, as well as apologizing for calling her the kidnapper and even shamelessly asked if she was The Princess. The 'Assumed Princess' couldn't help but chuckle at that, but gave up knowing that the girl is very stubborn.

The blonde girl hummed, looking up to the sky, with a melancholic expression. After a couple of agonizing minutes, Akko then heard her said, "Yes."

Despite having the assumption, Akko still got shocked. She felt her lips moving up and down like a goldfish's. She was speechless, yes, but inside she can feel a lot of emotions spilling. For one, because, why does the other girl look so sadden? Shouldn't she be happy because she's a Princess? And she's also living for like an eternity, anyone would want that... right?

"I..." Akko started with a slight crook in her voice. She wanted to ask. Really. But something stopped and she could only say, "I-I'm Akko, what's your name?"

Surprised by the next question, the other girl could only answer, "Diana is my name." The blonde was caught off guard by the latter's question... she was expecting that she will be bombarded by questions related to stories of the town folks about her, but her name? She was not really expecting that.

The now confirmed Princess cleared her throat and said, "Well now you know, I expect that you won't come back here anymore or else I'll kidnap you and keep you my company forever." Diana said, but instead of agreeing, Akko insisted that she wanted to stay for awhile and chat. She wanted to know more about the princess, wanted to fill her curiosity and wanted to befriend the princess. The young girl was disagreeing at first, but in the end gave up, because of the persistence of the girl.

They ended up sitting inside the cave where they first met, talking about things, anything and nothings. They were engrossed with their chat that they were not aware of the passing time anymore. They only snapped back to earth when they heard some dangerous sounds somewhere and there the Princess insisted that the girl needed to go back.

"Just one more question please?" Akko pleaded to which the Princess sighed to. They were filled with silence once again, the girl contemplating of how to formulate her question without making any offensive remarks to the young girl.

Sensing the girl's anxiety and knowing what she wanted to ask, the latter took the liberty to break the silence between them. She said. "My parents did this to me. Let's say... I have disobeyed their orders of marrying someone that I do not love. I was killed here and was cursed to stay here forever, but a kind witch brought me back to life and entrusted me to watch out of this forest and no, I do not kidnap children I can't even touch any person, because it's part of the things that I have to leave behind just to get my life back. If I do touch one, I'd end up disappearing from this world."

The last sentence, made Akko look up to the young girl. Once again, she don't know what to say, but the young Princess only smiled to her as if what she had just told her was not a big deal. After that, she went home with a lot of thoughts to wrap her mind into.

Even though Akko was constantly warned by the young Princess, she still kept on coming back there every night and as much as the Princess made her stay away from the clearing, they both know that they like each others' company. They have considerably gone closer for the past few days despite their differences and whether they like it or not, they both know that there's something more, but as if with mutual agreement both kept quiet about it and just settled with friendship as they know that they are different.

Until one night, it was Akko's last night of visiting in her grandparents' lodge. She was once again, preparing to sneak out to the forest when she heard her mom said, "Akko dear, I know it is already our last night here, but the news said that there is an ongoing snow storm. So, don't go out because it is dangerous and we'll be leaving tomorrow morning, understood?"

And that crushes her plans for tonight of saying goodbye to her _friend_. But she's Akko and Stubborn is her second name, and later that night when she saw that the storm have subsided a little, she found herself once again walking towards the clearing, but that took her more minutes than she usually does because of the ongoing storm.

It was cold and hard to move. In the end she crouched on the nearby tree, shivering as she hugged her knees closer to her chest to keep her warm. Her favourite coat didn't help her now, because the cold is still seeping in through the fabric.

"Diana," She whispered one last time, and closed her eyes when she heard a shout. "Akko! What are you doing here!" She knew... that was Diana, the young Princess. She smiled, but kept her eyes closed. She couldn't see how the Princess panicked.

Diana don't know how to keep the girl warm, because she couldn't touch her. Then, she stopped thinking when a hard blow of cold storm erupted. She wrapped her cold arms around the girl, and like what she usually does, she brought them to the cave where they first met to which there's warmth despite the cold outside. She woke up the girl and succeeding to do so, the girl opened her eyes only to see the Princess glittering and... fading. "Diana! What- what's happening to you?!" she asked to which the Princess answered with a small, a sad smile.

"I guess, this is the time." She said, with her usually soft voice.

When she said that, the girl knew then what she's talking about, since the once worried eyes was filled with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"B-but I haven't even told you everything, anything and now you are going away, be-because of me, with m-my reckless behaviour. I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I'm sorry." The girl kept on apologizing as she sobbed. "I'm so, so, so, sorry..."

The Princess too was tearing up, but she held it in. Diana carefully cupped the girl's left cheek with her right hand, slowly running her thumb to it - caressing Akko's cheek for the _first_ and the _last_ time.

"Shh, don't cry." She said, smiling. "I didn't regret it at all or blaming you for it, it was bound to happen anyway." She breathed out a shaky sigh. "I, too wanted to get to know you more, but I guess it's really my time to go now. Hopefully I'd still see you in my next life. Thank you for bringing me happiness once again even for a short while... the one that I have long forgotten."

Diana's next move made Akko cry even more, because... for the first and the last time she kissed her forehead, before finally fading away. "No, no, no! Diana! W-wait! I-! P-Please, d-don't go!" Akko cried out. Sobbing as she tried to grasped the fading light... the fading life before her. She was shouting her heart out, but slowly stopped when she heard Diana's voice for the last time. _"Don't blame yourself, Akko. You're the best that have ever happened to me. Please don't forget about me."_

" _Thank you, love..."_

And that happened 4 years ago. Akko smiled when she remembered those days, as she sat on the spot where they talk about things. She was here to visit the cave once again, which she had been doing every year, any season. To reminisce and so, that she won't ever forget the best thing that have ever happened to her.

Deciding that it was all for today, she stood up patting the dirt out of her clothes for the summer. She was about to go when she heard small steps. "Who's there?" She asked turning around and her dark eyes met a lighter ones.

Blue eyes.

Blonde, tea- green hair.

Fair skin.

The End


End file.
